


On The Mend

by Living_Free



Series: Slip and Slide [32]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Batfamily, Cass holds grudges, Crack, Dick the ever loving hero that we deserve, Fluff, Gen, Healing, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Jason preserving Tim's purity, Terry the perpetually happy baby, The Talon and Timmy friendship, The Talon learns about family, Tim and his fashion choices, batbros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 17:56:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18393449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Living_Free/pseuds/Living_Free
Summary: Tim makes a new friend.Bruce is less than thrilled.Dick opens up about his family,and Wally insists that his sex life is not an anomaly.





	On The Mend

The Wayne family was, for all intents and purposes, just a normal family. At least by Gotham standards. This was a widely acknowledged fact about the beloved family by the populace of Gotham City, and their resident celebrities were often a part of everyday life. 

Dick Grayson perusing the sale aisles at WayneMart with his baby strapped to his chest? Absolutely normal. 

Jason Todd volunteering on a sleepy Sunday morning at the animal shelter? A model employee.

Damian Wayne being escorted to get froyo with Cassandra Wayne? Aw, what a lovely bond. 

Timothy Drake happily getting tummy rubs from various siblings after closing another busniess deal? Perhaps not so run of the mill, but Tim Drake was the saviour of Gotham, and he was as cute as a kitten, so everyone loved him. 

So yes, everyone loved the Waynes, their own resident kooky family who occasionally steped in to rebuild Gotham when the going got tough. Perhaps the last person to realize this, though, was one William Cobb.

We know him as The Talon. 

We catch up with William Cob now as he hangs out in a tree and tries to avoid some randy squirrels, as he spies on the Waynes during a lovely Saturday brunch. 

The Talon spied on his young descendent, Dick Grayson, as he was dishing up salad to his ever constipated father, complaining about the lack of fiber in the older man's diet. Wayne, for his part, was trying to fend off the assault of lettuce with a chicken wing. Cobb scoffed at the sight. To see a Grayson so openly caring for, and protecting the colon of an odious Wayne was galling. 

Just then, a small cry started up, and everyone's attention was diverted to the baby in the crib. Cobb grinned at the newest Gray Son of Gotham, so innocent in his crib, unknowing that his great great grandfather had come to take him and Dick to fulfill their destiny.

Dick abandoned Bruce's salad inquisition and immediately scooped his infant son up, and checked his diaper. Finding it wet, he immediately got to work, changing and powdering and cleaning. Cobb pondered. Could he take both his grandsons away in one fell swoop? It was possible, with Dick being so attached to Terrence. That would be best, he thought, even his hardened heart qualiing at the idea of separating a parent from their child. 

He remembered his own Amelia, quickly wed to another man more 'suitable' to her rich father's status, wilting away to her death mere months after William had taken his son back, dying of heartache and the loss of her two greatest loves. 

William hadn't even had the chance to attend her funeral. 

Cobb's thoughts were interrupted when his eyes fell on a pretty little thing sitting next to Wayne, wearing a lightly textured, pale green sundress that contrasted her short, dark hair-

Cobb squinted and observed that no, that was no girl, but a fae young lad. He was sat daintily, his attention fixed on his phone screen, his teeth playing with his bottom lip that was painted a soft shade of pink. With a pang, he remembered Amelia worrying her own lip as she read, as she stared at the stars whilst lying in his arms, as she watched, conflicted and powerless, as Cobb took their child and left, never to see her again...

Cobb watched as Bruce Wayne set his sights on his young son, and suddenly grabbed the phone away. "What is this?" He roared. "Texting Kon-El again? Tim, I expected bettter from you! Let's see what you've been up to..."

"Bruce, no!"

Bruce eyes bugged out of his skull as he read the texts outlining how Kon would deliver milk and honey for Tim to bathe in, and then take him in his swole arms to the top of a hill and lay him atop a bed of lavender, where they would watch the sunset together, just a farmer boy and his tender Timmy. And then, when the sun would set...they would boink. 

"Timothy Wayne, you are in so much trouble," Bruce seethed. "What have I told you about going on dates with Kon-El?"

"To stay within 5 km of the manor," Tim recited dully. "And no boinking."

"No milk and honey baths or lavender hills for you, young man," Bruce sniffed. "You are grounded!"

"Bruce no!" Tim cried. "Please, I'll be good!"

Wayne, the unfeeling cur, laughed. "Oh, Tim. To think that once, I would have fallen for that. But you're too late, young man. I have raised Dick and Jason before you, I know a fruitless promise when I see one."

Tim slunk sadly into his chair as Bruce looked triumphant. Cobb felt a stab of pride when his descendent, Dick, spoke up. "Bruce don't be so cruel," he scolded. "It's completely normal for Tim to have sexual feelings at his age."

"Yes, and it is completely normal for me, his father, to make sure that nothing comes of those feelings."

"Timbo can take care of himself," Jason added. "He runs a whole ass company with a monopoly of every sector."

"Tim is very clever," Bruce agreed, "but he has KSSS."

"What's that?"

"Kryptonian Selective Stupidity Syndrome."

The brunch continued after that, with Bruce making sure to keep Tim beside him. Cobb watched, minful of his mision to abduct Dick and Terry, but could not shake his feeling of pity for the Tim boy. It rankled, knowing that rich bitches like Wayne still controlled the feelings of the youth, making them subject to their whims. 

Clearly, somethign had to be done. And if The Talon would stand for something after the Court of Owls, Cobb thought, then let him stand for Love. 

<p>***</p>

Later that night, Cobb spied on Tim as he emerged from the bathroom after his patrol, bone tired and dressed in a translucent silky golden slip dress. He crawled into bed and picked up the picture of a boy from the nightstand. His lover, presumably. Tim kissed it tenderly before putting it down, and cuddling his teddy bear and falling asleep. 

Then, Talon made his move. 

With inhuman swiftness, he broke through the barriers that would have stymied anyone else, his unnatural tolerance for pain and invulnerability allowing him to pass through the manor's barriers that would have killed any other invader. 

He broke open Tim's window even as the sirens blared, and engaged the boy himself. It was a brutal battle - the boy fought alarmingly well, Cobb thought in surprise - but in the end, Cobb had the advantage. Deftly knocking Tim out, he carried the boy out, even as his family pursued. He heard Dick's wails and Jason's curses, and then Wayne's roar of rage.

But he had the boy now, and that was all that mattered.

<p>***</p>

Tim woke to a distinctly pungent smell. He sat up and retched. "Oh god, that smells like Clark's toe fungus socks.”

Cobb sat back. "Those are smelling salts."

Tim squeaked, realizing whom he was speaking to. "You're the Talon!"

"Correct."

"Why did you kidnap me? Don't you usually go for Dick?”

“Richard will-"

"-break your nose-"

"-understand," Cobb glared, "when he sees why I have taken you."

Tim peered at his captor. "Why did you take me?"

"To give you your freedom," Cobb said benevolently.

Tim hummed thoughtfully. "Bit of a paradox, isn't it?"

"I saw that your father keeps you away from your peasant lover," Cobb said. "I have taken you to give you the chance to realize your love."

Tim stared. Then said, "We've had sex. Kon and I, I mean. So our love is pretty much realized-"

"No you daft caterpiller, I meant marry him!" Cobb seethed.

"Oh," Tim said. "Yeah, but no. Not yet, at least. We decided to wait till I was twenty one for that. I have a plan, y'know. I have to set up an intergalactic conglomerate first. Kon and I have founded Drake-Wayne-Kent Industries, where we use intergalactic fertilizer enhanced by Damian's magic to grow crops and end universal hunger. I'm going to do that first.”

Cobb stared at this unlikely fae boy in front of him, barefoot and in love, but still with a heart of steel and filled with nobility. He was so much like Amelia that it hurt. 

"And Wayne will not stand in your way?" He manged to croak.

"Nah. Bruce is pretty resigned to it now. He just likes to keep me to himself for as long as he can. In his lizard brain, he thinks that Kon is going to steal me away from him after marriage, or something. Obviously, I won't go away," Tim ploughed on, to William's disbelief, "I mean, I love my family, y'know? Just because I'm going to move out - because I'm not Dick - doesn't mean I'm going to abandon everyone that I love.

"It's wierd, you know? I mean, Jason got married and actually maintains an independent residence, but Bruce doesn't crawl up his own ass every morning to angst about that. It's just me, for some reason. He even acknowledges that Cass - Cass! - is going to get married and move out. And she's going to marry Steph! I wonder why Bruce is so finicky about my relationship."

To Cobb, an outside observer, the answer was patently obvious. There was something so pure and innocent about this pixie like boy, that inspired a fierce protectiveness in all that met him. Despite being born with a silver spoon in his mouth, there was something unerringly simple and pure about Tim Drake that even after years in Gotham City, years as Robin, remained as untarnished as when he had first opened his eyes to the world and decided that he was going to become the CEO of everything. 

"You're precious," Cobb deadpanned. Tim pouted, his mouth formed a pretty little moue. "If I let you go now, will Wayne forbid you from meeting your love?"

"I have a date with Kon tomorrow," Tim said. "We're going to the backyard to have a picnic. I'm going to wear my favorite yellow strapless dress. I bought red garters," he added with a conspiratorial whisper. He giggled. "Bruce doesn't know. Red is Kon's favorite colour."

Cobb looked bemusedly at the giggling boy and wondered as to how his life - already decidedly odd - had come to this. Still, he couldn't regret taking the boy, not when he had managed to make him smile. 

"I will release you, young man," Cobb said. "Go, be with your love."

Tim goggled. "Really? Cool beans. You're not so bad, Cobb."

"Thank you." Cobb looked out of the window. "It's very late. I should take you home."

"Oh no," Tim said, his eyes wide, "you really shouldn't. Dick will straight up murder you."

"My descendent," Cobb sniffed, "will do no such thing. He ascribes to a moral code that-"

"I have a comm/tracker in my ear," Tim said, angling said cartilagenous organ at Cobb. "He's managed to track us and is hurtling towards us right now, filled with his unique brand of maternal-fraternal love."

"Richard is reasonable, and will not strike down his family-"

“Jason is with him."

"Oh no."

In a bid to preempt the beatdown of his lifetime, Cobb lent Tim a coat to cover himself against the draftiness of his hideout and led him to the roof, grumbling as to how his one good deed was going to get his ass whooped. 

Nightwing and Red Hood descended on Tim and Cobb, full of rage and worry. "Timmy!" Dick wailed. "We've come to save you!"

"Hi guys," Tim waved, the sleeve of Cobb's overlarge coat flopping around. "I'm fine, Cobb and I just had a heart to heart."

"Why're you wearing a coat?" Jason asked. "Does he have a weapon strapped to you?"

“The boy is wearing naught but lingerie," Cobb said in a pained voice. "It would not behoove him to stand outside thusly, in the cold and with the roving eyes of the city on him."

"Oh," Dick said. "Thanks, I guess. Why did you kidnap Timmy?”

"A misunderstanding," Cobb grumbled. "I had assumed that Wayne was keeping the boy from his lover."

Immediately, the harsh set to Dick's eyes went wibbly with emotion, at once understanding Cobb's feelings. After all, he had made it his job to find out about the man that had once threatened his family. 

What he had found had left him feeling worse than when he started. 

”Bruce wouldn't do that," Dick said softly. "He's just-"

"Neurotic," Jason said, nodding. "C'mon Tim, let's go home."

"Okay, but can we walk?" Tim asked, shuffling forward. "I'm going commando under my gown, and I don't fancy flashing all of Gotham on the way home."

Dick stared at Cobb, who was looking strangely at Tim and Jason, the latter of whom was tattling to Bruce on the comms that Tim was wearing his sheer nightgown in public again. "Um," Dick cleared his throat, "thanks. For not hurting Timmy."

"He's odd, isn't he?" Cobb remarked, his eyes still on Tim. "An odd little mix of clever, ruthless, and elf."

Dick tittered. "He is, that."

"He reminds me of my Amelia," Cobb said. At this point, it was clear that the man was moreso thinking aloud than holding an actual conversation. "Not like that, no," he carified quickly, when Dick looked Ready To Stab again, "just...generally. She was also like that. Odd and sweet."

"Amelia would be my great grandmother, right?" Dick asked, recalling his research on the Talon. 

Cobb hummed. "My wife, yes. No one ever knew but for the two of us. It wouldn't have mattered either, not to the rest of them. She died for nothing."

"What was her full name?" Dick asked, curious to hear more of his ancestor that so resembled his Timmy. 

"Amelia Cobb. Born Amelia Wayne." At the sharp intake of breath from Dick, the Talon smiled. "You didn't think that I targeted Wayne for no reason, did you? I was more than happy to take that assignment from the Court of Owls."

"Bruce didn't kill your wife," Dick said stoutly. "Guilt isn't inheritable, Cobb. But you know what is?"

"Don't say it-"

"Love," Dick said mushily, and Cobb felt his manliness recede. "Love can be passed on from generation to generation. I pass on the love my parents had for me to my own sons-"

"There's more?”

"-oh, no, just Terry," Dick said, catching his slip of tongue with a blush, while Jason and Tim made retching noises and grumbled about tiny gremlin baby brothers gluing themselves to oblivious older mother-brothers. 

"I know of the little one. Terrence," Cobb clarified. "I...was pleased to see that the Grayson line continues with him."

"Terry's adopted," Dick said, cocking his head curiously. "I would've hought that you'd be all about the blood aspect of family."

Cobb shrugged. "I suppose it is as you said," he admitted with a shrug, "yours is a legacy of your love. It should be enough."

Dick's eyes brimmed over, and Cobb wisely took several steps back. "Oh no." But it was too late, as waves of emotion radiated off of Dick, and rammed into Cobb, knocking him onto his bum. Behind them, the formless energy had caused Tim's skirts to fly up, leaving Jason to fruitlessly try to preserve his brother's sanctity.

"Stop!" Cobb cried, horrified. 

"Stop it, Dick!" Jason yelled. "Think of Tim's purity!

Tim squealed as a draft of cool air hit his tiny tushy underneath his nightgown. He was secretly enjoying his Marilyn Monroe moment. Only, he wished it was with Kon, and not Jason who was holding him in a bear hug to keep his dress on his body.

"Oops," Dick sang, and the ripples of fluff magic abated. Cobb looked windswept, but still impressed. 

"I had no idea that you had magic."

Dick cocked his head. "Oh, I don't," he said earnestly, "but Dami is learning! He is so talented and tiny, and just yesterday he learned how to conjure-"

"Here we go again," Jason grumbled, as Cobb quickly realized that he was trapped in Dick's vortex of effusive praise of all things Damian, as he went on and on about 'Dami's accomplishments, he's so clever and sweet'. Jason used the time to take Tim home, leaving Cobb to Dick's tender mercies. 

By the time they got home, Bruce was about to have a a gigantic rage shit. It all calmed down once he had squished Tim in a big bear hug for approx. ten minutes and crying that 'I would never keep you from your happiness Tim, you're my little geisha son and I love you so much'.

When asked where Dick was, Jason replied that he was eliminating one of their deadliest enemies with the power of his inane love. Bruce stared, but accepted the answer. "Do you think that the Talon will dissolve with the concentration of pure love? After all, he is a creature born of spite."

"Dunno," Jason shrugged, watching Tim surreptituosly rearrange his nightgown, "but we've got bigger problems."

"What?"

"Tim's nightgown is super sheer in his stomach area. It's because Kon has a preference for his belly button."

"TIMOTHY WAYNE!"

Tim squeaked, knowing that the jig was up, and ran daintily upstairs to barricade himself in his room before Bruce could give him double grounding. 

Bruce glowered after his son, wishing ill upon Kon-El's crops. The problem would keep for later though, he decided, as he sat up to wait for Dick. 

<p>***</p>

The next morning saw William Cobb at Wayne Manor once more, but this time at the front door like a non-spy. Alfred opened the door to him, raised an eyebrow, and unsheathed a cleverly hidden knife. 

"Good day, Mr. Cobb. I fear that if you do not remove yourself forthwith, I shall be forced to stab your foul entrails."

Cobb huffed. "My descendent invited me."

Alfred's eyebrows hiked up his respectable forehead. "Indeed."

"He actually did."

"Indeed."

Cobb paused. "I fear we are not getting anywhere."

Alfred cleared his throat. "Indeed."

As it turned out, Dick really had invited Cobb over, and Bruce had to be physically restrained to stop him for delivering acute harm to the houseguest. Jason was currently sitting on Bruce, grinding his bum into Bruce's back, to keep him down. 

“Heya, Cobby."

"It's Grayson," Cobb tried ineffectually. 

"There may be only one true Grayson within these halls, Cobb," Damian piped up from where he was standing next to Dick, armed to the teeth with darts (poisoned), swords (poisoned), and the fangs of a gargoyle (also poisoned).

Cobb looked at Dick, who smiled and nodded to the swaddle in his hands. "You've already met the rest of the family," he said. "This is Terry. Your two times great grandson."

Cobb peered at the slightly pink baby, who peered back at him. Then smiled. "He is very much like you," Cobb informed Dick. 

"Thanks," Dick smiled. "It's good that you could meet him. I hope you'll stay for lunch?”

"I don't think-" Cobb was stymied by the double pair of hopeful eyes directed at him by Dick and Terry. "That is to say, thank you for the invitation, I shall be delighted to accept."

Tim made it a point to separate Cobb and Cass, the latter of whom had famously decimated the entirety of the ancient order of the Court of Owls and had thus robbed Cobb's one reason to live for a brief period of time. 

"I kill him," Cass hissed to Tim. 

"No, he's nice now," Tim whispered back. 

"He hurt Dick. Made him cry. I kill him."

"Dick forgave him and kicked his ass."

"..."

"..."

"I want."

"Want what?"

"...Kill him."

Ten minutes of that merry go round had resulted in Cass finally simmering down and settling for trying to kill Cobb with the not insignificant power of her mind over the mashed potatoes.

Cobb, however, was busy looking at and occasionally poking Terry, who was delighted at another acquiring another family member, much like his inconceivably fluff-brained father. "I haven't seen a baby in a long time," he remarked. "The last one I cared for was my own son."

"Grandpa Dennis?" Dick asked. "He was great, loads of fun. He cussed all the time because he kept getting into accidents and breaking his bones."

"What did he do?" Cobb asked. Dennis had not been a Talon. Pop Haly, in his wisdom, had taken the circus and established it anew in Europe, out of the reach of the Court. Dennis had been happy, and safe, or so he hoped.

"Acrobat," Dick said. "All Graysons are acrobats. Although, he did some side gigs as an animal trainer. I remember the tiger sitting on him and not getting up."

Cobb looked amused. "But he was happy?”

“Oh, yeah," Dick nodded. "He was always tickled pink, had a great sense of humor. He was the one who designed the original flying Graysons red and green sequin costume. We only found out that he was colourblind after he died. He passed when I was a kid, natural causes, funnily enough. We all thought that the tiger would get him."

Everyone was listening with rapt attention. Dick almost never talked about his family before Bruce. They had never even heard of his grandfather. Even with Cobb's appearance, they hadn't thought about it beyond the abstract idea that along the line, some people had procreated for Dick to exist.

"Do you...have a picture?" Cobb asked hesitantly. "I never saw him after he turned five. If it's not too much trouble-”

Dick smiled gently. "Of course. I have an album. Here, hold Terry for a second," he said, passing the baby over, casually ignoring the yells and hollering of his family. Cobb himself was silent, gaping at the baby in his arms.

"If you think about running, I will hunt you down and punch your ass until it's concave," Jason hissed. 

Cobb looked condescendingly at him. "You cannot run with a baby," he said. "It'll hurt their neck." He looked back down at Terry, who was playing with the hem of Tim's Superboy shirt. "Do you know who I am?" He asked. "I am your twice great grandfather. Do you know how implausible it is that we have even met?"

Terry looked up and gurgled happily at him. Cobb looked up at Wally. "Do you, the other father of my twice great grandson accept that I wish to have a relationship with him and his father, your husband?"

Wally stared. "Erm...yeah? I mean, I'd like you better on our side, seeing as you're an immortal invulnerable assassin and all that. But if you hurt Dick or Terry, I will use the power of the speed force to end you."

"Acceptable. What is your power exactly?"

"I can go very fast."

"Oh, my condolences," Cobb offered. "Richard is a stellar man to be so devoted to you inspite of your shortcoming."

"It's not-!" Wally looked at Damian, who was watching with knowing eyes.

"Do you not satisfy your spouse in your marital chambers, Wallace?" Damian asked seriously. "Fret not, for Grandfather has several herbal formulations that can help with your predicament. I shall ask him to courier some-”

"No!" Wally squeaked. "I'm fine! Dick and I are happy! We have an adequate amount of normal and healthy sex that lasts for a very respectable amount of time!"

Bruce looked ready to murder his son-in-law, having happily lived in the fantasy that his eldest lived in a happy, sexless marriage till just then. 

Wally sunk down into his chair, red as a cherry, as Jason, Tim, and Cass burst into applause at Wally's assertiveness. Damian looked aghast and quickly waddled out of the room to burn sage around himself to cleanse his own aura. 

Dick came back in just then, after pausing to give Damian a smoochie as he waddled past, complaining about 'Wallace's crass words sullying mine youthful ears'. Dick flipped open the old album to a picture of a very little Dickie Grayson, standing next to an old man who was warily eyeing a tiger which was in turn looking smugly back at him.

"That's grandpa Dennis," Dick said, pointing him out. Cobb and the rest of the family peered at the picture to see an older man who looked startlingly like Cobb, but curiously unlike Dick. 

"You take after your mother, then?"

Dick flipped the page to show a picture of Mary Grayson, who Dick was the spitting image of. "My mom. That's dad, his name was John."

"And they weren't..."

"Talons? No. Pop Haly made sure that the Court never touched us. It's why he freaked out when Bruce adopted me - he didn't want me to stay in Gotham. He tried so hard to get full custody of me, but the courts wouldn't allow it."

“Why did you adopt Richard, Wayne?" Cobb asked. 

“What do you mean 'why'?" Bruce asked, angrily defensive. "He was a little boy who needed a stable and loving family-"

“-so you, a bachelor with a dangerous nightlife, took it upon yourself-"

"Excuse you, Alfred is extremely stable-"

"-to raise him to fight for the bourgeosis that holds Gotham in it's fist to this day?"

"You're behind the times, Cobb," Dick said stoutly. "Gotham is revolutionizing itself. Ever since becoming CEO of Wayne Enterprises, Timmy has pumped in money to revitalize the city. It's never been better."

"He has a monopoly on everything," Jason said, "from baby powder to construction to chemical engineering. He and Damian are going to combine the power of magic and Tim's own genetically modified foods to end global hunger."

"I'm a gabillionaire," Tim preened, smoothing out his pink cocktail dress, "with a heart of gold."

Cobb looked at Tim, beaming at him toothily and full of joy, and conceded. Somehow, he liked this ruthless, rich, boy. 

"Alright then," he said quietly. 

"Cool beans," Tim confirmed. 

"Beans? Why are beans cool?" Cobb the relic of ancient times asked. 

Tim patted Cobb's leg reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'll teach you everything you need to know. We shall begin the lesson with the concept of The Meme."

As no one bothered to rescue the former Talon, Cobb found himself being drawn into conversation with this most unlikely of twinks. He looked at Dick in askance, and recieved a bright smile in return. At one point, he would have given his right arm to see Amelia smile like that. 

But she would never smile again. 

Turning back to the happy family milling around him, Cobb felt that somehow, he could make do. 

***  
***

TIMMY'S FASHION BLOG

At the end of each fic, I'm going to give you a link about dresses that I imagine Tim to have worn in the fic!

In this fic, he wore:

1\. [Pale green sundress](https://www.amazon.com/Hli-SHJHsmu-Casual-Sleeveless-Splice-Vintage/dp/B07QG91C52/ref=sr_1_147?keywords=green%2Bsundress%2B50s&;qid=1554690388&;s=gateway&;sr=8-147&;th=1) 

2\. [Satin nightgown](https://www.amazon.com/EPLAZA-Women-Chemise-Sleepwear-Loungewear/dp/B073J8Q3Z9/ref=sr_1_65?keywords=nightgown+silk&;qid=1554690664&;s=gateway&;sr=8-65) 

3\. [Pink cocktail dress ](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774CWPDL/ref=twister_B01GZZFW74)


End file.
